Forging a future
by evrik
Summary: My first fanfic. Based on the Danielle / Ronnie storyline. Set during the wedding, what happens when the locket goes undiscovered. Can mother and daughter forge a future together? Will update as work permits.
1. Chapter 1: The Wedding

The Queen Vic was resplendent. Pristine, white coverings adorned every table, complete with gleaming cutlery, the finest white china, spotless champagne glasses and perfectly crafted arrangements of flowers. Wedding banners that congratulated the happy couple – Peggy and Archie – hung from every wall, sweeping between silvery balloons that bobbed and floated upon silken ribbons. Everything was perfect as the residents of the Square talked quietly amongst themselves.

Or at least it had been.

The door to the Vic slammed shut. Champagne glasses rattled on the nearby tables, the wedding decorations and balloons swayed beneath the force of the blow that locked Danielle and her lies outside forever. At the noise the murmurs inside the room abruptly ended, whispers dying on the tongues of the gossiping locals. Ronnie glared around the inside of the pub, her anger flaring dangerously in her eyes, challenging the wedding guests to utter one out of place word that would unleash her rage. No one spoke. They looked away, staring into drinks, fiddling with expensive cutlery, unable to meet her gaze. Ronnie dismissed them all with a look of contempt as she always did. Such petty people were beneath her. So unhappy with their own pathetic lives, they had to find amusement in the problems of others. She would be the talk of the Square, but what did it matter? They had no idea of what it meant to be her, to live a life in mourning, to carry the pain she bore.

The silence continued to reign over the reception party. Without a target to direct her anger towards, Ronnie felt her blood cool and she slumped against the wood of the door. How could she have not seen how unstable Danielle was? It was clear the abortion had pushed her over the edge. Even so, she closed her eyes, sighing as the young girl's words rang in her ears. _"I'm Amy! I'm your Amy!" _Danielle's voice screamed through her mind, dislodging the guard Ronnie kept around her heart. She had wanted to believe her, hoped against hope. She would have given anything…everything…to find truth in her claims, but Danielle had no proof, no locket to substantiate her pleas. And how could she? Her Amy was dead.

That gut-wrenching thought struck like a hammer-blow, driving a spike of grief into her heart before she could steel herself once again. Ronnie let out a slight sob and then drew in a deep breath, grabbing the locket that hung around her neck to restore her composure. The reassuring feel of the drop of silver was the shield that protected her from the world. As long as she had that, the unconditional love she held for her baby was enough to sustain her through anything. Quickly she blinked back tears, buried her hurt, and wiped the moisture from her eyes. Ronnie Mitchell's moment of weakness passed like a brief shower of summer rain. Seconds later it was if it had never been.

"Ron? Are you okay?" Ronnie looked up to see her sister standing before her. Tears glistened in her blue eyes, her face a picture of concern.

Ronnie offered Roxy a forced smile and touched her arm. "I'm fine, Rox. Honestly." The lie was effortless. She had years of experience at hiding her pain. Nineteen to be exact. "Just give me a few minutes to sort my makeup. I must look like a sight."

Roxy nodded. Putting aside their recent problems over Jack, she quickly hugged her sister, aware of how deeply Danielle's words would have affected her. "No change there then," she said with a slight laugh, attempting to make light of the situation. Releasing Ronnie, she was pleased to see her sister make an attempt to return the smile.

"Veronica?" That was Archie. Ronnie instinctively stiffened at the sound of his voice. Despite his apparent change, it was still difficult to be at ease around her father. There was too much history to simply overlook. Nevertheless, she held her ground as he approached, willing to hear him out following his earlier words of reassurance on the landing.

"V," he continued carefully, testing her mood. He had frozen with fear as Danielle had searched frantically for the locket. Suddenly his carefully crafted deceit had looked so flimsy, but with her now out of the picture, he knew that soothing words were all he needed to cement his victory and control over the situation. "Why don't you go and get yourself cleaned up. Forget about Danielle. The girl clearly needs help and I don't want her little scene to ruin Peggy's big day." Archie smiled. "Don't worry, you go, I'll take care of things out here." He placed a hand on her arm, and the other on Roxy's. "I just want my girls smiling."

Ronnie looked at her father, searching for any signs of deception, until at last she offered a weak smile and then moved across the bar, ignoring the collective stare from the guests that followed her every footstep. She moved quickly into the bathroom, found a mirror, and set about attempting to salvage her makeup. With a piece of tissue she dabbed away the mascara that had run from the corners of her eyes, then paused to stare at her own reflection.

For the first time Ronnie noticed each and every one of the slight lines that marred her skin. She traced her fingers across each one, noting the withdrawn, haunted look that had entered her blue eyes without her knowing. Ronnie sighed. She was tired, tired of hating, tired of fighting. At thirty four what did she have to show for it? No friends, no family of her own…nothing. Looking at the locket, she lifted it to her lips to kiss. Perhaps it was time to move on. Her baby was gone, dead for all those years. Although she could never truly forgive her father for taking Amy away, what now was she really holding out for? Unlike Danielle, Amy would never walk through her door and call her 'Mum'.

Finishing her makeup, Ronnie threw the tissue into the bin and stepped back into the bar. Directly opposite the doorway, her father stood smartly in his suit explaining the situation to their guests. Ronnie moved across to Peggy while listening to his words and lightly touched her shoulder in a show of support. Her aunt – now her step-mother – offered an affectionate smile as she moved past and took her place at the table. Roxy turned in her seat to check up on her, but Ronnie waved away her attention. She pointedly chose to overlook Jack's attempts to catch her eye. Whatever complicated feelings she had for him were not worth worrying about any longer. Roxy was welcome to him. If she was to make a fresh start, then it would be a total one. Ronnie looked at her father.

"…a troubled girl. Myself, my family – Veronica especially – have tried to help her but its clear that she needs professional assistance." Archie caught Ronnie's eye and saw her nod in agreement. In that moment he knew he had won. "Hopefully she'll get that, but I don't want her outburst to spoil this occasion. This is a new beginning." There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd. Archie smiled triumphantly and turned to his best man. "Now then Billy, why don't you try your speech a second time?"

"Actually," Ronnie interrupted, standing from her chair. "I would like to say something." The attention of the gathering swung her way. She could see their questioning looks, feel their eyes upon her, and for the first time she felt nervous in front of the residents of the Square. What she was about to admit wasn't easy. Ronnie Mitchell didn't discuss her emotions. She took a deep breath. It was time to address that, to make a change. "I've been unhappy for a long time…a long time…" She stalled, having not planned her speech. Her eyes met Archie's and he smiled encouragingly. "All I know is…you've changed."

Ronnie spoke directly to her father and lifted a glass from the table. She looked at it and laughed. "It's empty," she announced, prompting a ripple of shared amusement around the room. Roxy moved to choose another from the table in front of her and hand it towards her sister. Her aunt, however, got there first with a bottle of the finest champagne so Roxy put the glass back.

"Here you go, Ronnie love," Peggy said with a smile, filling the empty glass Ronnie held. "I think you could use this. We all could."

Ronnie smiled. It's was Peggy's wedding day and here she was fussing over her. She thanked her aunt as she placed the bottle back onto the table. Taking her refilled glass, Ronnie raised it in a toast and exclaimed, "To Dad."

"To Dad," the Vic said as one.

Archie smiled. He had his family, everything he had ever wanted. Victory was his.

The wedding celebrations commenced.

On a table, a glass went unnoticed.

In that glass, a locket was forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2: The Morning After

_**Hey everyone, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I've been ill this week and off work so here is Chapter 2, well ahead of schedule. I considered keeping to the posting rate I had set myself, but I decided to add this anyway, lol. Hope you like.**_

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Morning broke on the Square. Misty, watery light, made grey by heavy clouds, chased away the lingering shroud of night that concealed the events of yesterday to reveal an overcast sky that promised rain. Birds began to sing of the dawn as the unwelcome glow of yet another day slowly grew until Danielle Jones could no longer ignore it. Lying on her back on top of the bed covers, staring blankly into the hazy gloom that had replaced the darkness, she watched its steady intrusion. Much to her annoyance, the curtains proved no barrier and it spilled unrelentingly into the small space she shared with Stacey, pouring irritating light into every corner of the room, lifting the blanket of dreams that had protected her from finally facing the truth. Now, in the cold light of day, she could do so no longer. It screamed within her head.

_Her mother despised her._

The realisation stabbed her in the heart more painfully than any knife. Danielle let out a whimpering cry of agony, and felt her breath lodge in her throat as the crushing weight of her last meeting with Ronnie crashed down upon her. Her breath became ragged. An anguished gasp escaped her. All at once, memories she had no wish to relive floated up from the depths of her mind and flashed before her eyes.

Standing upon the landing upstairs in the Queen Vic, desperately screaming at a confused and angry Ronnie...

"_Your Dad, he, he told you!"_

"_Told me what?"_

"_That you're my mother!"_

The lingering scream echoed in her ears. Danielle closed her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the pain. It failed, but the slight movement disturbed the tears that had pooled there. Warm moisture rolled down the sides of her face. They ran across the grimy tracks of ruined mascara that smeared her pale skin, left behind by all of the others tears that had flowed from her during her long, sleepless night. One by one the droplets of water dripped from her ears and fell upon her pillow.

Danielle sniffed back her distress and wiped her tired eyes, further smearing the remnants of her makeup. Never before in her life had she cried so much. Not during the long months of trying to befriend Ronnie, not during the abortion, not even when Lizzie – her adopted mother – had died. She had never known emotion so raw. Everything had poured from her in the wake of Ronnie's rejection, all grief and rage, all joy and hope, the only future she craved, it had all slipped away until she was left empty inside, hollow, her body numb and cold, unfeeling. Everything apart from the pain! That remained to torture her. All she could feel was the dull, eternal heartache of being separated from her mother. That was all that remained of her world. A personal hell which held her trapped, alone with the demons of her past that continued to dredge up fresh agony.

_Archie – her own grandfather – pushed her down the stairs. Ronnie trailed behind in her bridesmaid's dress, a bewildered expression marring her beauty. His lies had ruined everything, threatening to shatter her dreams. Despite his firm grip on her arm, somehow she had managed to find the strength to break away. Now that Ronnie knew the truth, she was not prepared to allow her mother's love to slip through her fingers. The Mitchell in her – the fire coursing through her veins – was ready to help her fight for what was hers._

_The locket. The locket would prove everything._

_She rushed into the bar. It looked beautiful, resplendent in its wedding day decorations, guests quietly offering words of congratulations and enjoying the celebrations. All of that stopped in an instant. All eyes turned to her…_

Danielle curled up on her bed, tossing and turning to escape the need to remember. Even now she felt pathetic beneath the memory of their stares. Seeking solace, her hand immediately went to her chest, only to clutch at thin air. A slight moan of anguish escaped Danielle. Her locket was gone.

_"It was here…" she yelled, scattering glasses of champagne left and right across the tables, raising shouts of protest from Roxy, her aunt. "It was right here!" She insisted, turning to her mother, her vision blurry, large brown eyes filled with tears, pleading for support. Unable to find the locket, she found none there. Ronnie looked at her as if she was crazy. As did everyone else in the packed bar._

_Everywhere she looked someone averted their gaze, unwilling to come to her aid. Frantically she span around, begging for help, begging to be believed, until at last her eyes met with the one person who did not look away, a person that should have loved her, the person that inexplicably hated her and his own daughter._

_Archie. Her grandfather._

_"He took it! He must have!"_

Danielle remembered the accusation. Before coming to Walford in search of her mother, such courage and rage had been alien to her, and yet, standing alone in the middle of the Vic, she had levelled such hate towards him that it had scared her. The smug look upon his face, the unshakeable hold he believed he possessed over her mother and family, had unlocked the secrets she carried. Out came everything about the mail he had kept from Ronnie, about Suzy and the money from the safe, about Sean and Amy's DNA results, every single shred of lies she knew her grandfather had spun. In the end none of it had mattered. Without the locket she was nothing to the Mitchells. Her words carried no weight with a family that looked down upon her like she was scum, less than dirt.

The light grew within the room, dragging her back further to reality. She fought it, curling tighter and tighter into a ball. Danielle slid the pillow over her head, seeking to escape back into the darkness that had earlier offered at least a temporary protection.

_"Get out!"_

_Ronnie had heard enough. She could see the raging fury etched onto her mother's face and was unable to stand against it. Her grovelling pleas and tearful demands were all for naught. The door to the Queen Vic was hurled open as her mother cruelly threw her into the road. She collapsed before Ronnie, the hard concrete grazing her skin, its cold creeping into her bones. Again she had begged._

_"Please…"_

_Her simple words were feeble. Her mother had sneered at her weakness._

_"Go away from me! Go away from me you pathetic little freak!"_

_The callous name had finally broken her resistance. The fight she had possessed inside the Vic had vanished, the fire dimming beneath Ronnie's withering glare of hatred and disgust. She was terrified. Scared of her own mother. She would never be a proper Mitchell and couldn't hope to stand against one. She was beaten, finished, but her mother was not._

_"I don't want to see you ever again! Who'd want a daughter like you!"_

_Her heart broke. The fire inside it fluttered and went out. Chill swept in._

Unable to bear being alone with her thoughts any longer, Danielle rolled over on her bed and swung her legs onto the floor. She sat up, squinting in the pale light. Stacey slept noisily across from her, still lost in an alcohol-induced slumber. Such was her despair that Danielle couldn't even offer a smile at the sight of her best friend…her only friend. Instead, she hunched forward. Her elbows thudded onto her knees, shoulders slumped, head in her hands. Her eyes studied the carpet beneath her bare feet and saw her yellow cardigan lying on the floor where she had left it. She hadn't bothered to change. The dress she had worn at the wedding still hung limply across her body, a reminder of her utter failure to convince Ronnie of her identity.

Danielle shook her head as tears stung her eyes, blinking them back. The movement caused her gaze to fall upon her arms and she saw the cuts and bruises there. Danielle ran a tentative finger across the ruptured skin. Ronnie had done that. Her own mother's nails had sliced into her arms as she had thrown her from the pub, clawing into her flesh – her own flesh and blood – like talons. Danielle winced slightly as she touched each mark in turn. She hadn't even felt them at the time. The physical discomfort was nothing compared to the wounds Ronnie's words had inflicted.

Another wave of despair threatened to engulf her. Quickly, Danielle tore her hands away from the scars of rejection. To occupy them, she ran them through her hair and looked up into the mirror on the wardrobe door. The young woman she saw there was barely recognisable. Sullen, dark brown eyes stared out from the glass. Beneath makeup that had run uncontrollably across her face, the skin around them was red and puffy from crying. Her blonde hair was all over the place, lank and wild. She was a total mess. Danielle lowered her gaze, unable to even look at herself. No wonder Ronnie hadn't wanted her. Her mother was beautiful. Perfect. She was pathetic and had been stupid to think otherwise.

Getting up from the bed, Danielle moved to the window. Moving aside the curtain, she slipped beneath it. The curtain rested across her shoulders, almost protectively. Danielle wished it was her mother's arms as she stared out at the Square. The red walls of the Queen Vic dominated her view. Vast and imposing, the building that had once been so inviting now rose up like an unassailable fortress, one that she could not hope to breach, even though her mother was in there.

Danielle shook her head sadly, a slight smile curling the edges of her mouth. It reminded her of the bedtime stories her father used to read to her about the long lost princess returning home to the castle to be reunited with the sad, lonely queen. The princess was welcomed by her mother and loved by the court. Her smile vanished. She had for so long hoped for the same perfect ending to her own story. Sadly it had proved to be no fairytale. This was a more a nightmare made real.

Dropping her gaze from the public house, she instead turned her attention to the Square. Like her it was empty, devoid of any signs of life so early in the morning. A slight breeze rustled the trees in the small park, and as she watched, a swirl of white confetti swept along the road in front of the Slater house. Left over from the wedding, the decorations danced and twisted in the wind, falling like a flurry of snowflakes that somehow defied the march of spring, much like her heart that was even now locked in an eternal winter. Without the locket, without the picture of Ronnie that had always commanded such love and affection throughout her life, she knew it would never thaw.

'_Like mother, like daughter,' _she thought bitterly, recalling Stacey's name for Ronnie. _'Ice Queen and Princess.' _

Danielle signed. Suddenly, Walford held no special meaning to her. Ronnie was lost, along with the promise of a future with her mother and her family. She no longer belonged. The Square wasn't home any more, nor would it ever become so. She couldn't stay. She had to leave. Seeing Ronnie every day, being so close to her and yet so far would destroy her if she didn't go.

"Dan?" said a sleepy voice behind her. Danielle half-turned from the window to watch Stacey shift in bed. Her friend propped herself up on her elbow to stare at the silhouette standing at the window. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Stace," Danielle replied bluntly, without any real enthusiasm. She turned back to the view outside. "I couldn't sleep. I'm going to take a shower and get cleaned up. You should go back to sleep."

Stacey yawned and slumped back into bed, her head resting against the pillow. Half-asleep already, she dreamily asked, "Are you sure you are okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied, snapping slightly before she could stop herself. At once Danielle felt guilty. She couldn't take this out on Stacey. Stacey had given her a place to stay, a job, and she had been the only person she could rely on. Danielle knew that leaving would crush her, but there was no other option. "Just go back to sleep. We'll talk later."

Moving away from the window as her friend rolled over, Danielle quietly headed for the shower. She hoped the warm water could wash away her pain, only in her heart she knew it could not.


	3. Chapter 3: Moving on

**Thanks for all the reviews. I hope people are enjoying this so far. I am going to be busy this coming week so I thought I would add this up now in case I don't get a chance later. **

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"Come on, Phil!" Peggy yelled from the base of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently upon the floor. She checked her reflection in the mirror and quickly fussed with the edges of her hair, teasing a few strands this way and that, before brushing down her turquoise jacket suit. Smiling when she was happy with her appearance, she realised there had been no response and moved to the banister. "Get a move on! The car's already here!"

"Alright Mum," Phil growled in reply to the incessant nagging, appearing at the top of the stairs. Red faced from carrying two bulging suitcases, he dropped the luggage and shrugged his dark shirt back into position on his shoulders. Muttering something beneath his breath, he hefted the cases again and plodded down the stairs towards Peggy. "Give it a rest will ya. You're not the only one with a flight to catch."

Peggy offered her son a smile as he placed her suitcases down onto the floor. "Sorry love, sorry. Just remember, when you and Ben see Grant and Courtney, give them my love. We're not far away, so tell them I will be there next week to show off Archie." Peggy waved her hands in excitement, thrilled by the prospect of them all being together in Portugal. "Right, Phil, come on, get a move on. Take those cases through. I don't want to miss another minute of this honeymoon, not after yesterday with Ronnie and Danielle…"

"Here, keep your voice down…" Phil warned, while wheeling the cases towards the swing doors that led into the bar. He barged through them, hurling the barriers aside in a clatter of case wheels. "I don't think Ronnie needs a reminder."

Peggy fearfully glanced up the stairs, suddenly horrified that her words may have been overheard. "Oh, what am I thinking of!" she exclaimed, following Phil into the bar and away from the hall. "How is she love? When I think of what that poor girl's been through..."

"Ronnie will be alright," Phil reassured her, dumping the cases next to the Vic's bolted main door. "She's a Mitchell, ain't she?"

Upstairs, Ronnie slowly paced back and forth across the room she had shared with Roxy, gently cradling Amy in her arms. Her niece was restless, relentlessly kicking and squirming. Ronnie watched as Amy's face twisted, threatening to burst into wails and tears at any moment. "Shush," Ronnie cooed softly, smiling at the girl in spite of recent events. "Aww, come on Sweetie, don't cry. I know you're hungry but your mum won't be long. She's just taking a shower. And she'd better hurry up because other people need to get ready. Yes they do."

At her words, Amy briefly stopped fussing so Ronnie sat down onto the bed. Beyond the closed door to the room, she could hear the banging and crashing of the rest of her family. Rushing water could also be heard, along with Roxy's woeful singing, causing Ronnie to roll her eyes. Some things never changed. She tried to ignore it and stared down at Amy.

Ronnie studied the little girl, making use of the moments alone with her to really appreciate her small niece for the first time. For so long she had been unable to look at her. Whenever she did so, all she could see was her sister's betrayal with Jack. Ronnie knew that it was unfair on Amy and she was ashamed, but that was how she had felt.

However, after yesterday, after deciding it was time to look toward what she had instead of living in the past, she could finally cherish her niece. Amy was beautiful, achingly so, with deep brown eyes that sparkled, combined with Roxy's blonde hair. Ronnie lightly ran her fingers through the wispy locks and smiled, amazed at how soft they were. They were so like... Time rolled back in the blink of an eye, causing warmth to flood into Ronnie's gaze. They were so like her own Amy's.

A soft sigh escaped her. Stung by the memory, Ronnie looked away, having sought solace in that remembrance only to experience heartache. Moving on was something she now realised she needed to do, but to actually put that into practice, beyond mere words, that was almost an impossible ask. And yet she had to try, one step at a time, one day at a time. What was the alternative? More pain? More loneliness?

At least by getting past her feelings for Jack, and forgiving her sister, she could be a part of Amy's life as her niece grew up. That was a start. Although it wouldn't ever make up for missing her daughter's first steps, her first words, they would still be precious moments that she could share with Roxy. Besides, her niece was blameless. Amy deserved the love of her aunt.

Ronnie felt a gentle pressure on her neck. Looking down, she saw her silver locket was clutched in a little chubby hand. Amy's beautiful brown eyes were focussed intently upon the shiny object she held and Ronnie could not help but softly laugh at the sight. "Hey, what have you got there?" She asked quietly, slowly prising the locket free of her niece's tiny fingers. Carefully, with her free hand, Ronnie undid the clasp that secured the hinged faces and opened her most treasured possession.

"Look," she began, holding up the small picture inside to show the baby in her arms. "That's my daughter. Her name was Amy too…yes, just like you." Love poured through her. Opening the locket always opened her heart. Ronnie felt tears well in her eyes. They were happy, rather than sad, but tinged with lament at speaking about her child in the past tense.

"She was your cousin." Ronnie turned the locket. At the sight of her daughter's perfect face, a single tear tumbled free to roll down her cheek. The two Amy's were so alike, both possessing big, inviting brown eyes and blonde hair. "She's looks like you…" Ronnie muttered, the breath catching in her throat, "Well she did…I…I mean she would have been nineteen now."

Amy reached up to grab the locket with both hands. However, her efforts fell short and instead wrapped around Ronnie's finger, causing her aunt to gasp at the simple contact. The tight grasp seemed to resonate through the years, bringing everything flooding back. Holding her daughter… The same tight grip that had been cruelly ripped away…

Ronnie sobbed quietly until a tear landed onto Amy's forehead. "Aww, I'm sorry, Sweetie," she said with a watery laugh, using a thumb to wipe away the drop. "What's Aunty Ronnie doing to you, huh?" Quickly, she closed the locket and tucked it beneath the neckline of the black top she wore, returning it to the spot close to her heart where it would always stay.

Still rocking her niece, Ronnie wiped her face and walked to the window in order to peer outside. Through the slight, early morning condensation, she looked down to see the waiting cab that would take the rest of the family to the airport. She envied them. A break in the sun was something she would have welcomed. Soon, she promised herself, only to end her line of thought as her gaze lifted and fell upon the Slater house. Ronnie cursed the mistake. The sight of it, the thought of who was concealed beneath the grey walls was like a knife in her chest, slipping beneath the locket, stabbing directly into her heart.

Ronnie shifted Amy up onto her chest and shoulder so that she could lightly rub her small back, protecting her from the unseen threat posed by the occupant of the house, from Danielle and her lies. A surge of turbulent, conflicting emotion swept through her, churning her stomach while simultaneously igniting a fire in her veins. Hate fuelled that blaze, allowing it to burn in her eyes, only to be confusingly tempered by the cold chill of knowing what it was like to lose a child. The loathing was opposed by a sympathy of such plunging depth that Ronnie was torn in two. She hated Danielle for what she had said, and yet hated herself for doing so. Why did the thought of the quiet, troubled young girl affect her so much?

A frown creased her brow. Danielle had managed to get close, far too close. Ronnie didn't know why, and that uncertainty frightened her. She was always in control, always guarded, but she had found herself drawn to the girl, opening up to Danielle to share secrets about her daughter that she had never told anyone else. Why? Yes the abortion had created a kind of bridge between them, a bond of shared experiences based on a sense of terrible loss. Was that it? Had she seen herself in Danielle, the confused, lonely teenager struggling to come to terms with being pregnant?

Ronnie shook her head in frustration and turned away from the window. Whatever the reason, the teenager had slipped beneath the barriers she used to keep people at arm's length. Danielle had gained her confidence, only to twist everything and throw it back in her face. The shy girl had wounded her more deeply that she could ever imagine with her lies. Ronnie's expression hardened as she shifted Amy back to cradle her. Ill or not, that was unforgivable.

"Hey, Ron," Roxy said, barging loudly into the room, a large white towel wrapped around her and another covering her hair. "Did I leave my… Ah-ha!" She stopped as she spotted the pink dressing gown hanging from the wardrobe door. Roxy quickly pulled on the robe and dropped the wet towel to the floor. "I wondered where I had left it."

Turning to her sister, Roxy started drying her wet hair until she noticed Ronnie's dark look and that she was holding Amy in her arms. "What's up with your face?" she asked with a smile, despite the blunt question, before pointing to her daughter. "Oh, don't tell me…she hasn't has she?"

Ronnie followed her sister's outstretched finger and shook her head. "No," she replied, returning Roxy's smile instead of taking exception to her earlier comment. Roxy never sugar-coated her words and could always lift her mood. "She's been as good as gold, haven't you Amy? We had a good chat."

"Good," Roxy said with a bemused smile, briefly giving her sister a confused look following her comment, "Because I just got cleaned up and don't need to be dealing with nappies."

Roxy kissed her daughter's forehead and then watched her sister rock Amy back and forth. Judging Ronnie's state of mind was always difficult, she had become adept at hiding her true feelings, however from her words and smile it appeared to Roxy that she had been right in insisting Ronnie had stayed after the wedding. Going back to an empty flat would have been wrong after everything that had happened. She needed her family around her.

"So yeah," Roxy continued, opening the door to her wardrobe and rooting around inside. "Ron I'm going to quickly throw on some clothes and head downstairs. I heard Phil shouting that they are almost ready to go. You couldn't hang onto Amy for five, could you?"

Ronnie glared at Roxy's turned back. "Oh come on, Rox," She began, somewhat exasperated by her sister's selfishness. "I need to get ready myself you know! You've been in the shower for ages. Besides, I think Amy is hungry."

"There's a bottle already made up in the fridge," Roxy countered without pause and continued to slide hangers across the wardrobe rail. "It just needs warmed up. Cheers Ron." Roxy stopped her search and pulled out a sleeveless red top. She turned around and held it across her chest, staring at herself in the mirror. With a satisfied smile, she casually added, "Plus, there's no hot water left anyway."

Ronnie narrowed her gaze at her sister, but Roxy just stuck her tongue out, causing her to roll her eyes. "Fine," she huffed, "I'll put the bottle on to warm and then take Amy downstairs. You can bring it down when you are finished in here." Ronnie gently shrugged her niece up and down in her arms. "Come on Amy, let's go and say goodbye to everyone."


	4. Chapter 4: Goodbyes

**_Hi all, thanks for the reviews. Reading them always makes me smile and they are a great help first thing in the morning ahead of work! I appreciate some of you are calling for the reveal. That isn't too far away now. Should begin with Chapter 5. I am away on holiday from today (Friday) so it might be a while until I can get that done. That's why I have tried to get this chapter added before I go. I hope you enjoy…_**

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The door to the Slater's house closed with the slight click of the lock. Outside, in the crisp air of the morning, Danielle held her breath and listened for any indication that she had been overheard. Her heart drummed loudly in her chest, so loud she foolishly feared Stacey would hear it and rush down the stairs and stop her from leaving. A part of her silently willed that outcome. Maybe Stacey could save her from herself.

Danielle sighed when the house remained quiet, her breath misting in the cold. She hated having to sneak away from her friend and her family. They had welcomed her in, and now she was slinking away like a thief. Perhaps an ear bashing from Stacey was exactly what she deserved for treating the Slaters so badly.

Shaking her head at her lack of gratitude, Danielle hoisted her backpack into her shoulders and shrugged it into position. The weight of the heavy rucksack almost toppled her back and it was all she could do just to stop herself from slamming into the front door. Even so, her feet kicked into the milk bottles on the step and they loudly chinked and clattered in the still morning.

Danielle cursed under her breath at the unwelcome noise and hastily pushed herself away from the wall, staggering down the small path to the gate. There she paused only briefly to fasten up the toggles on her over-sized tartan coat, and to stare up mournfully at the house she had called home for almost half a year. Guilt nagged at her as she looked at the window of the bedroom she had shared with Stacey. Danielle hoped her friend would understand when she found the letter. Leaving wasn't a slight on Stacey. This was all about her. It was something she needed to do. She couldn't stay with Ronnie so close. Seeing her mother every day would simply twist the knife already lodged in her heart.

Unable to continue staring at the house, Danielle lowered her gaze and stepped beyond the threshold of the gate and walked into the Square. She kept her eyes focused on her feet, watching them appear and disappear with each step, while quietly praying that no one would notice her escape. After everything in the Vic she knew her outburst would be the number one topic with the local gossips. That was why it was imperative to reach the station before the market opened up. The last thing she wanted was to be confronted by anyone seeking the latest juicy update. She just wanted to go…to disappear from sight and memory.

Although her gaze remained fixed on the ground, Danielle was aware that she had crossed the road and entered the small garden in the centre of the Square. She pressed on, passing the wooden bench with the name plaque dedicating it to 'Arthur', until a car horn brought her to an abrupt halt. Surprised by the noise so early in the morning, she looked up and saw a black taxi parked outside the Vic. Its engine was running, the boot-lid open, while a driver sat behind the wheel.

Puzzled, Danielle watched the door to the pub opened and was only just able to crouch back behind the hedge as someone stepped out into the street. Through the gaps in the vegetation, she secretly observed the scene and saw that it was Phil who appeared, with two suitcases grasped in his hands.

"Alright!" she heard Phil shout to the driver. Through the windscreen she could see the man gesturing to his watch, clearly annoyed at being kept waiting.

Danielle frowned in confusion. Where was he going? Shocked, she placed a hand over her mouth as her heart leapt. Was Ronnie leaving? Had her outburst caused this? Could she now stay with Stacey? Danielle shook her head to dismiss that possibility. Her mother wouldn't care enough to leave. Then it struck her, a bitter taste of disgust rising in her throat at the thought. She knew what this was. Her '_grandfather's_'honeymoon!

As if summoned by her revulsion, Archie appeared in the doorway. Danielle glared at him from her hiding spot. Just the mere sight of the man made her blood boil. No one in her life had ever provoked such a reaction…such fire. With Ronnie it was complicated, a turbulent mix of love and loathing, hope and despair, but with Archie it was simple. She hated him! He had ruined everything…taken everything and everyone with his lies. Never before had she experienced such anger. It was so strong, so powerful, that Danielle could no longer look at him for fear of doing something rash.

Instead, she slumped down onto the metal bench next to the railings and buried her head in her hands, covering her face to shield herself from his presence. Angry tears threatened to spill forth, however Danielle blinked them away and buried her upset deep inside. She had learned from the all of the anguish Ronnie had so callously inflicted. The rejection had hardened her, forged her anew in misery. Danielle grimly wondered if her mother would be proud.

The thud of a boot being closed dragged her attention back to the car. Danielle gasped at what she saw. Ronnie stood in the doorway now with little Amy in her arms. In spite of her new control, Danielle felt her soul fill with fresh conflict. She couldn't drag her gaze away from her mother and cousin. Ronnie was effortlessly beautiful, possessing an inner grace that Danielle knew she could never match. Even dressed in a plain black top with dark leggings and her blonde hair pulled back into a simple ponytail, Ronnie was stunning.

The teenager wearily shook her head, instead shifting her attention to her cousin. Amy…Amy was perfect. Leaving her – missing being a part of her life – was the final crippling blow. Danielle loved her cousin so much, and that love was pure, untainted by disappointment, unlike her feelings towards her mother. Bittersweet, this rush of happiness and sadness ached within her heart while she secretly observed their farewells.

* * *

"Goodbye Love," Peggy said with a bright smile, rubbing Ronnie's arm supportively. At the touch, her niece turned from saying her farewells to Ben and Phil and focussed upon her. "We'll call to let you know we've arrived safe." Ronnie leaned down to give her aunt a kiss, which Peggy warmly returned. The landlady then kissed her hand and gently pressed it to Amy's forehead. "And make sure you look after this little one."

"Please," Ronnie snorted derisively, "This one's no trouble. It's Roxy that I'll need to keep an eye on."

Peggy laughed for a moment. Then she pointed to the Vic. "And you're sure you can manage this place while we've gone?" She became serious. "I know it's a lot to ask what with the club and everything else…"

"It's fine," Ronnie said abruptly in frustration, preventing her aunt from finishing the sentence. She knew where her words were going and she had no interest in discussing the matter any further. Almost all of the previous night had been spent stressing the fact that she was okay, that Danielle's claims were forgotten. "I have run this place before you know. Besides, Roxy's here to lend a hand and there is always Billy and Tracey. It's not a problem Aunty Peg. Go and have a good time. Don't worry."

"She's right, Mum," Phil interrupted with a growl, sensing his cousin's rising annoyance. Ronnie shot a small smile of gratitude towards Phil. Of all of her family, he had always been the one on her wavelength. He opened the door to the taxi and stood waiting while Ben climbed inside. "Just get in the car, yeah. I thought you didn't want to be late?"

"Sorry darlin'," Peggy said in apology. "I just want to be sure."

Archie sided with Phil. He urged his new wife to the car. "Do as he says, Peggy. My girls will be fine. Right V?"

"Yes Dad, of course we will!" Roxy exclaimed confidently, merrily bouncing out from the pub to hug her father and then stand next to her sister. "R and R back together again." She looked at Ronnie and grinned, nudging her with an elbow. "What could go wrong?"

"Where do I even start?" Ronnie said with tired resignation and a forced smile.

One by one the goodbyes were said. Phil, Peggy and Ben were sat inside the taxi, while Roxy was leaning through the passenger window to flirt shamelessly with the driver. Archie stood alone with Veronica. He smiled at his daughter, supremely secure in his place at the head of the family.

"I couldn't be any happier, V," Archie admitted. "This is all I ever wanted." He held his arms out. "Well, its time to go. Come on, give Amy to me."

Abrupt fear gripped Ronnie, seizing her heart. The words shook her to the core, forcing a sharp intake of breath that hissing into her lungs. Ronnie's eyes widened in fear. She felt her hands tremble in shock and her legs almost buckled. It was not the first time her father had uttered that demand. All of a sudden she was back in the hospital room, screaming at him, begging him not to take her baby away…

Instinct took over. The motherly desire to protect had never left her. Without realising she clutched Amy tightly to her chest, while a subconscious desire to run from her father carried her two unsteady footsteps away from him. Tears pooled in her eyes as the powerful emotions of the birth of her daughter washed away her control.

"Ron?" Roxy asked, turning from the window to see her sister's sudden distress. "What's wrong?" She stepped away from the car and looked at her father. "What did you say to her?" Perplexed, Archie shrugged and stared at his daughter. "Nothing, I just want to say goodbye to my granddaughter." Roxy moved to her sister and saw the tears in her eyes. "Ron, what is it?"

Ronnie shifted her gaze away from her father and focused upon her sister. "I…" she began, her voice small and childlike, brimmed with nervousness. "It's…it's nothing. Sorry." Ronnie blinked several times to clear her watery vision. She forced a smile for her sister's benefit and loosened her protective grasp around Amy. "Here, you take her."

Handing Amy over to Roxy, Ronnie quickly said goodbye to everyone in the taxi and then walked towards the door to the Vic. Archie stood there with Amy and as she moved past, he placed a hand on her arm. "It will get easier V. We're a family now and have so much to look forward to."

Glancing at his hand, Ronnie nodded, still uncomfortable with his touch but able to now tolerate it. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and lifted her gaze back to her father. "Bye Dad, take care of Aunty Peg."

Unable to bear being outside any longer, Ronnie slipped back inside the Vic. The emptiness of the pub was welcoming, as was the sight of the vodka bottle that hung behind the bar. She sighed and slumped against the door – the second time in as many days – before looking down. Her hands still shook uncontrollably, almost clamouring for the vodka and the sweet oblivion it promised. Her eyes returned to the bottle. The memory of that day – of those two hours and twenty-three minutes – would haunt her forever. It was the best and worst day of her life, a blessing and a curse, but surely one drink would take the edge off it…

Ronnie clenched her fists and tore her eyes away from the alcohol, angry with herself for possessing such a weakness. Giving into that desire would be a step back. Ronnie gripped the locket in her hands and took a deep breath to steady herself. She had made a commitment to moving forward, to making a fresh start, no matter how difficult.

* * *

Danielle's eyes followed Ronnie as she moved back inside the Vic. Once out of sight, the dawn light seemed to dim with her disappearance, its glow impossibly diminished by the lack of her presence. Even she felt lessened by Ronnie absence – colder – and despite vowing never to forgive he mother, she could not shift the feeling.

Ronnie was strong, and possessed such a power over her. A simple smile here or kind word there, anything to do with her mother held her captive. Ronnie was a source of simultaneous love and hate so entwined that she was unable to break free. Danielle sighed in frustration, annoyed that she could not be more like Ronnie. Her mother had no such failing. She was beyond such weakness.

Glancing back to the gathering on the pavement, Danielle knew she could watch her family no longer. Every smile they shared, every warm embrace she witnessed, one after another they slammed into her, driving home the point that she would never be a part of it all…of the family she craved.

That, and the sight of Archie holding Amy, playing the loving, caring grandfather, made her want to retch. Danielle narrowed her gaze as the vile man handed her cousin back to her aunt. Hate burned inside of her. Archie made her skin crawl. How could Roxy let Amy anywhere near him! None of this was fair! He shouldn't be happy! He should be the one consigned to this miserable emptiness, not her!

Twisting her face in disgust, Danielle sharply looked away. Raising her hood to block the scene from view, and their laughter from her ears, she slipped away from the garden and walked across the road. To remain unseen she moved behind the empty market stalls.

After only closing the distance to the train station by a few meters, the blue and white striped tarpaulin covering Stacey's pitch dragged her to a halt. Danielle paused to glance at it. The ramshackle awning brought a brief smile to her face as she thought of the time she had spent there with her friend. She had been happy with Stacey, making sales, watching the residents go by while chatting about the day or planning a night out. Her life on the stall had been trouble-free, the place where she could daydream about her mother and a life together.

Danielle's smile faded from her face. All of that had been ripped away, it was now just a memory. She had wasted so much of the last seven months pining after Ronnie, and for what? Stacey had been right, she should have listened to her friend. The Mitchells hadn't been worth it.

A car approached. Flicking her gaze from the stall, Danielle watched from the gap between the pitches as the black taxi rolled by. Through the windows she saw Peggy, Phil, and Ben. All of them were laughing, almost as if she was the joke. They seemed not to see her, but her presence there did not go unnoticed. One gaze managed to pierce her place of hiding and lock with her own.

Archie's.

The dark, shark-like eyes of her grandfather fixed her with a stare. Danielle felt her stomach lurch. She fell helplessly into the black abyss of his gaze and a vindictive smile crossed his face as he basked in her misery. It was futile to resist any further. He had won. He knew it. She knew it. It was over.

Defeated, Danielle lowered her head and averted her gaze. The car moved on, carrying Archie towards his holiday in the sun while she was left outside alone in the cold. Rain began to tumble without pity from the grey sky, adding to her suffering until it was all too much and it overwhelmed her defences. Her resolve broke. Danielle began to cry. Tears spilled from her eyes to merge with the shower already falling as she walked towards the station. She wasn't Ronnie. Unlike her mother she couldn't close her heart to the truth. It always betrayed her.

In spite of the pain Ronnie had caused, all she wanted was her mum.


End file.
